Of Winds And Quakes

27. The Presentation

27. The Presentation

Year of the Roses
Floral Season
Lysia's bedroom
Altsas

Lysia

THE GIRL THAT STARES BACK from the shiny surface of the mirror is plain. Behind her is the maid that gently combs her coily tresses into submission.

I'm the plain girl staring back from the shiny surface of the mirror. I'm the only unattractive and undesirable princess. I'm the unpaired, unmarried princess of Altsas. I'm the albino daughter of King Tus III. I'm the little sister of Prince Kyan. I'm Princess Lysia.

"Lysia?" My maid, Rosa cuts into my thoughts. "What's going through your mind, dear?" She asks softly with a motherly tone. I've always regarded Rosa as a mother figure. She had taken care of me since the day I was born till date.

"Nothing," I lie. "I'm just wondering how the girl will be like."

"I've told you, she's young - about your age," Rosa says.

"Is that all there is to know about her?" I ask. "Surely she must have a name." I know she's a Kintilese slave.

"Her name sounds like yours. Uhm... Alysia, "Rosa snaps her fingers," that's her name."

"Sounds really nice," I say.

Rosa nods in agreement. She proceeds to braid one hair into one fat braid from my forehead and capsizes to my shoulder.

"Yes. She'll be at the dinner. Alira is going to present her to your parents", Rosa tells me.

"I can't wait to meet her." I scrutinize my appearance in the mirror and suppress a shudder.

It will be nice to have a someone my own age and a fellow girl around in this cold stony palace. My brother, Kyan is usually not around and even when he is, we don't say much. It's pretty hard to relate with him.

The lacy scarlet red dress and snakeskin sandals does little to hide my flaws. I sigh and tear my eyes away from the mirror. Rosa beams at me and gestures for me to follow her, I let her lead me down the hallway.

The stony hallways echo with our footsteps and the guards stand even straighter as I pass them. Rosa stops before an arch doorway and gives me a very low curtsey. I stand by the doorway  begrudgingly while chewing my bottom lip.

Sucking in a deep breath, I summon courage and walk into the room making sure to saunter in with a gait brimming with grace and poise just as my Aunt - Duchess Alira taught me.

My father is sitting at the head of the majestically carved wooden table and my mother is sitting opposite from him. Kyan and Rakar are sitting at the table with lots of chairs between them.

All eyes turn to me. I lower my gaze to the floor as I sink into my knees at my father's side. "Alihim safir mi," my voice is faint and squeaky. His hand touches my head as he murmurs his blessings. Once he is done, I walk over to my mother and do the same thing.

She surprises me by laying a kiss on my cheek.

She beams brightly at me - something she never does and she pats my cheek. "Be happy, Lysia. Today, your brother will meet his bride."

Trembling, I rise to my feet. I take it a seat opposite Kyan whose stoic expression is anything but excited or eager to meet his bride. He is rather sad. He handsome face droops and his eyebrows furrow. He is sad and angry. Rakar gives him suspicious glances from time to time but Kyan doesn't seem to notice.

A steward walks around the table pouring out some wine. He pours a generous amount into the silver goblet next to me. I reach out and raise the goblet to my lips and I take a small sip. I close my eyes and savour the sweet taste of grape wine.